1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for selecting and controlling digital audio signals from stored files or streaming digital audio signals and generating an analog signal to a remote device, such as an AM/FM radio or amplifier by way of a host personal computer (PC) without interfering with the operation of the host PC.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is an ever-increasing amount of audio content available as digital computer files, for example in MP3 format, (like those found at www.mp3.com) or as streaming digital audio, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 557,943, hereby incorporated by reference. These new types of audio content can be played on a personal computer with a sound card, but cannot be played on a radio or stereo that is designed to receive and amplify analog audio signals. There are several techniques for converting a digital audio source to an analog signal that could be used by analog radio or amplifier, but these techniques interfere with the operation of the host PC and would require use of the PC to select and control the audio, for example, on an analog radio. Thus, there is a need to provide a system which enables Internet-based or digital audio to be played, for example, on an analog radio without tying up a personal computer.